ABOUT CALIFORNIA SUN DRY SUN-DRIED TOMATOES:
An 8.5 ounce jar of California Sun Dry
tomatoes contains three and one-half pounds of the freshest, vine ripened
Roma tomatoes.
The finest tomatoes are dried for seven
to ten days in the California sun, then packed in oil generously seasoned
with Mediterranean herbs.
The result is a brilliantly red, intensely
flavored product.
Drying takes place in a micro climate
that is exactly like that best suited for the growing of grapes: very hot
days and cool nights which allow the tomatoes to slightly rehydrate, thereby
achieving a soft chewy texture.
It takes 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes to make 1 pound of sun-dried tomatoes.
ABOUT TOMATOES:
The origin of the tomato has been linked
to Peru and Ecuador.
During the sixteenth century, explorers brought tomatoes to Europe from the fruit's birthplace, the New World. these first tomatoes were yellow, awarding the Italian name, "pomodoro," meaning golden apple.
Red tomatoes appeared later, compliments of two Jesuit priests returning from Mexico with red tomato seeds. Italians immediately accepted and included this strain of tomatoes in their cuisine.
Sun-dried tomatoes have a long history of use in the regional cuisine of the Mediterranean.
Tomatoes were originally sun-dried due to the absence of refrigeration, freezers and modern ovens. Drying tomatoes in the sun allowed for year round enjoyment of the harvest.
When they first appeared in English print in the early seventeenth century, tomatoes were referred to as "love apples."
The 1700's marked the beginning of tomato cultivation North America. Interestingly, this occurred only in home gardens. Tomatoes were introduced to Americans by Thomas Jefferson, who brought them back from France when he served as U.S. Ambassador.
During the nineteenth century, American cookbooks warned that tomatoes should be cooked for a minimum of three hours before eating to eliminate the raw taste. People were cautioned not to eat tomatoes raw because they were still suspected to be poisonous.
Once opened, a jar of sun-dried tomatoes can be sealed and refrigerated for up to one year. The oil congeals under refrigeration, but returns to its natural consistency at room temperature.
California sun-dried tomatoes are no longer considered a gourmet food. They have moved from the specialty food aisle to the popular produce section, next to the fresh tomatoes.
Oven drying causes the natural sugars to caramelize. This gives the tomato a brown appearance and slightly sweet taste.